The present invention relates to coin storage and transfer apparatus and particularly to a conveyor for feeding large numbers of coins to other machines such as a coin sorter, counter and packing machine.
In the handling of large quantities of coins, as for example in banks and other commercial establishments, combinations of machines are often ssembled, which consist of selected sorting, counting, roll stacking and roll packing machines. In particular the coin sorters and counters have a high speed and work performance which require constant refilling of their supply hoppers with a supply which in turn quickly becomes used. The hoppers of these machines are generally located high above the floor to permit the machines to take advantage of gravity in the handling of the coins. The highest of these machines, a counting machine, stands about 1.80 meters high. As the coins must thus be lifted to this height a difficult problem is found when large quantities of coins are handled.
A coin conveyor, for the foregoing purpose, is known which comprises generally a base container in the shape of a large open top box adapted to receive a large number of coins and which is provided with a conveyor belt which runs from the interior of the container in an oblique direction upwardly to a height above that of the hopper of its associated sorting or counting machine. The conveyor belt thus lifts the coins from a low level position within the receiving container to the high level hopper of the associated machine. In order to insure a continuous supply of coins to the sorting or counting machine, the low level receiving container must have a significantly larger volume than that of the hopper of the associated machine. As a result the coin conveyor of the known art is large and bulky and the exending conveyor involves a high degree of risk of injury to operators when it is necessary to move the conveyor from one coin sorting or counting machine to another.
For this reason, the frame on which the belt conveyor is mounted and supported is made of supporting members which can be disassembled and taken apart from the base container in order that the same may be more easily moved. This type of construction however has several drawbacks. The first being that the conveyor is made more complex and thus more expensive than is necessary and secondly that considerable expenditure of time and effort is needed by a trained staff for the assembly and disassembly of the conveyor each time it is moved from one sorting or counting machine to another.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a coin conveyor of the type described which avoids the drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior known constructions. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coin conveyor of the type described which is simpler in construction and more economicial to manufacture and use than those of the known prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coin conveyor of the type described having an extending conveyor which does not require assembly or disassembly each time it is moved.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coin conveyor of the type described having an extending conveyor frame which may be easily and simply folded over a base container so as to form a compact easily movable unit.
The foregoing objects, other objects, and numerous advantages of the present invention will be seen from the foregoing disclosure of the invention.